Last updated 13:26, Thursday, 03 July 2008

FOR their weekly sale of primestock on Tuesday, Hexham and Northern Marts had forward 60 cattle, which included seven young bulls and 35 over 30 month animals. Along with 1,431 prime sheep, which comprised of 1,168 spring lambs, 64 hoggs and 199 ewes and rams.ON FRIDAY at their weekly sale Hexham and Northern Marts had forward 138 store cattle.LAST Wednesday, Hexham and Northern Marts at their Scots Gap centre had a small but quality show of lambs for the second sale of the season.THE Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Farmers’ Mart had forward on Thursday at their weekly Longtown prime stock sale, 94 prime cattle and three young beef bulls, along with 1,205 prime hoggs, 2,215 prime lambs and 4,116 cast ewes and rams.

Prime cattle prices. Heifers per kilo: Limousin to 180.5p Mirlaw House and 157.5p and 148.5p Little Whittington. Charolais to 168.5p and 160.5p Rusheylaw. Belgian Blue to 156.5p Mirlaw House. Steers per kilo: Charolais to 158.5p Rusheylaw. Limousin to 157.5p Little Whittington.

Steers per head: Belgian Blue to £1,222.91 Twizell Hall. Charolais to £1,068.29 Rusheylaw. Limousin to £1,065.98 Peacock House. Heifers per head: Limousin to £1,028.85 Mirlaw House.

Young bulls per kilo: Charolais to 155.5p and 153.5p Hepscott Manor.

Over 30 month animals were slightly easier on the week to average 116.6p kilo and £760.96 head.

Prices per kilo: Belgian Blue to 151.5p Homilton. Belgian Blue x to 144.5p Homilton and 134.5p Camphill. Limousin to 139.5p and 138.5p Mirlaw House, 135.5p School House and 128.5p Branton Middlesteads. Charolais to 132.5p and 131.5p Hepscott Manor, 130.5p Hallington South Farm and 122.5p White House. Luing x to 124.5p Blackcarts. Limousin x to 119.5p Tone Hall and 119.5p Dene House.

Prices per head: Charolais to £1,218.87 Hallington South Farm and £871.16 and £862.45 Hepscott Manor. Luing x to £1064.48 Blackcarts. Belgian Blue to £1054.44 Homilton. Limousin x to £921.35 Dene House and £898.38 and £896.10 Mirlaw House. Belgian Blue x to £875.67 Homilton.

There was a total of 1,431 prime sheep forward, which comprised of 1,168 spring lambs, 64 hoggs and 199 ewes and rams.

With more buyers in attendance operating for 11 processors, quality well drawn lambs met a tremendous trade selling to £70, three times, for Texel lambs weighing 45kgs and 44kgs from Lough Green and High Baulk, purchased by Thompson Wholesale Meat Ltd, Witton le Wear and Cranstons Ltd Butchers, Cattle Market, Hexham and for Suffolk lambs weighing 51kgs from Lowes Fell also bought by Thompson Wholesale Meat Ltd.

Top quality, well drawn, tight skinned, farm assured lambs received a substantial premium throughout the sale selling to 169.7p/kg for an outstanding pen of three-quarters Texel lambs scaling at 38kgs (£64.50) from High Baulk.

Top prices. Texel x per head to £70 Lough Green and High Baulk, £68.50 and £65 Aydonshields, £67.80 Ashcroft, £67 Crescent Farm and Dunns Houses (J. and J. White), £66.50 Highwood, Bensons Fell, Crescent Farm and Breckon Hill, £66 West Morralee (JAB) and Salmonswell, £65.80 Lough Green, Ravenside and West Wharmley and £65 Todburn, Old Bridge End and Agars Hill. Per kilo to 169.7p High Baulk, 168.7p West Wharmley, 167.9p and 162.9p Stotsfold, 167.1p and 162.5p Aydonshields, 166.3p Bensons Fell, 165.8p Fell Lane, 165.3p Little Swinburne, 164.5p Lough Green and Ravenside, 164.1p West Morralee (JAB), West Morralee, Bradley Hall and High Eshells, 163.4p Crescent Farm, 162.8p High Fotherley, 162.5p Todburn, 161.5p Fell Lane and 160.5p Matfen East Farm.

Suffolk x per head to £70 Lowes Fell, £66.50 Rusheylaw, £65, £63.80 and £62.80 Greyside, £65 and £60.20 Tone Hall, £64 West Morralee (JAB), £63.80 Lingey Field, £62.80 Blossom Hill, £62.50 Highwood, £62 Beamwham, £61.80 and £60 New Acres and £60.50 Merryshields and Heugh Farm. Per kilo to 168.4p West Morralee (JAB), 163.6p Lingey Field, 161.0p, 155.6p and 154.8p Greyside, 148.8p Highwood, 147.6p Heugh Farm, 146.8p Tone Hall, 146.1p and 144.2p Beamwham, 146.1p Blossom Hill, 145.6p Lowes Fell, 144.7p Stone Hall and 144.1p Merryshields.

Beltex per head to £66.50 Crescent Farm and £61.80 Lingey Field. Per kilo to 167.0p Lingey Field and 154.7p Crescent Farm.

Charollais x per head to £65 and £64.80 Morrow Edge, £65 Merryshields, £63 Salmonswell and £60 Rosehill. Per kilo to 149.5p Salmonswell, 147.7p Morrow Edge and 146.2p Rosehill.

Blackface to £53.80 and 138.0p Nilston Rigg Farms.

Mule to £43 and 122.9p Cranberry Brow.

Well fleshed hoggs continue to sell well to £58.50 for Texel x from New Acres and 98p/kg for Texel x from Prospect Hill

In the cast ewes and rams section all classes short of requirements and sharper on the week, especially strong well bred ewes which sold to £77 for Bleu du Maine x from Lough Green.

Ewe prices per head: Bleu du Maine to £77 and £69 Lough Green. Texel x to £75 Stotsfold, £74 Old Bridge End, £65.50 Shillafield and Prospect Hill and £65 Dunns Houses (J. and J. White). Suffolk x to £71 and £58.50 Prospect Hill and £51 High Baulk. Leicester to £64.80 Sewingshields and £60 Lowes Fell. Charollais x to £62.50 West Shields. Mule to £54 New Dotland, £53 Lingey Field and Prospect Hill, £49.80 Blossom Hill and £48.50 Morrow Edge. Blackface to £45.50 New Dotland, £39 and £38 Cranberry Brow and £35.20 Sewingshields. Vendeen to £39.80 Dilston Haugh. Swaledale to £28.50 Rosehill, £24.50 Stotsfold and £24 Glenhill.

Ram prices per head: Suffolk to £69 Blossom Hill. Texel to £65.50 Prospect Hill. Charollais to £56 Prospect Hill. Leicester to £50 Glenhill. Blackface to £38 Sewingshields.

A small but very useful selection of cattle met a strong demand before a large contingent of buyers many of whom would leave empty handed.

top prices cattle 23 months +. Limousin x: Steers to £600 Hudspeth. Heifers to £655 Hamburn Hall and £642 White House Farm.

Cattle aged 17 – 22 months. Limousin x: Steers to £700 Bishopton. Heifers to £708, £638 and £608 Hudspeth.

Cattle 11 – 16 months. Limousin x: Steers to £895, £725, £698, £682 and £670 Bishopton, £710 and £628 Ealingham, £695 Woodhouse and £650 White House Farm. Heifers to £550 Airey Hill and £495 Ealingham. Simmental x: Steers to £820, £715, £705, £675 and £658 Bishopton. Heifers to £780, £660(2), £590(2), £540, £538 and £485 Hartley West. Belgian Blue x: Steers to £640 Woodhouse. Heifers to £615, £600 and £598 Woodhouse.

Cattle 10 month and under: Belgian Blue x: Steers to £600 Bishopton. Heifers to £480 Bishopton. Simmental x: Steers to £560 Bishopton. Heifers to £450 Hartley West. Limousin x: Steers to £482 Bishopton. Heifers to £450 Bishopton.

All classes sold well to average 43.9kg, £62.08 per head and 141.6ppkg. Poor weather and the busy time of year kept numbers short of buyers requirements.

Leading prices. Texel per head to £70 Old Deanham and £69.80 Craig Hall. Per kilo to 156.4p East Farm, 152.7p Old Deanham. Suffolk per head to £65.50 East White Hill and £65 West Grange. Per kilo to 144.7p and 141.4p East Farm.

Longtown Mart Prime Stock

Cattle averages. Steers: Medium, 189.5p (174.9p); heavy, 187.5p (166.5p). Heifers: Medium, 182.5p (164.1p); heavy, 196.5p (165.9p). Young beef bulls: 154.5p (135.2p).

Sheep averages: Hoggs: Light, 120.0p (104.3p); standard, 131.0p (112.8p); medium, 135.2p (110.8p); heavy, 140.6p (108.8p). Shearlings 124.4p (86.5p). Lambs: Light, 152.2p (129.6p); standard, 167.0p (142.2p); medium, 161.3p (149.0p); heavy, 157.0p (149.1p); other weights, 142.5p (127.4p). Ewes: Light, £50.50 (£28.30); heavy, £84.50 (£53.97). Cast rams: £73.50 (£52.29).